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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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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: suit · field · season · pit · mark · charge · drill · cue

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. season — of the year
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. season — in sport
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — for sport
  15. charge — electricity
  16. drill — army training
  17. field — a subject
  18. pit — in a race
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cue — for pool

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