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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · sharp · field · object · file · stand · court · charge

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. court — for sport
  3. stand — to bear
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. object — to protest
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. file — a document
  11. field — farmland
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — an aim
  14. mate — to breed
  15. field — a subject
  16. mate — a partner
  17. file — a line of people
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. object — a thing
  20. field — for sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. sharp — clever
  24. charge — electricity

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