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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 124 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: net · field · charge · calf · pound · scale · march · mouse

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — for sport
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. field — a subject
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. field — farmland
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. charge — a price
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — in control
  24. net — in sport

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