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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · pit · content · racket · ball · vault · chair · charge

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. field — for sport
  3. chair — a leader
  4. content — happy
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. content — the amount
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. field — farmland
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. charge — in control
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. field — a subject
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com