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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.

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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: foot · bore · field · rush · fine · snap · pitcher · charge

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. snap — to click
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — farmland
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fine — all right
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — in control
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. charge — a price
  19. rush — hurry
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fine — high quality

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