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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
468
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: present · rest · arm · pop · field · jam · charge · plane

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. present — there
  4. charge — electricity
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. charge — a price
  7. rest — what's left
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. charge — in control
  12. rest — a break
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — the time now
  15. field — farmland
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. present — a gift
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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