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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: swing · field · season · fan · dip · bass · charge · craft

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — low music
  5. field — for sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. charge — electricity
  11. field — a subject
  12. season — of the year
  13. swing — to play on
  14. craft — boats
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. charge — a price
  21. swing — music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. charge — in control
  24. swing — in golf

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