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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 116 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 · mate · ball · cabinet · band · nail · mug · charge

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — a subject
  5. charge — a price
  6. field — farmland
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a great time
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mug — a cup
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. charge — in control
  23. field — for sport
  24. mug — a face

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