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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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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: season · rash · calf · cue · field · sharp · vault · charge

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — hasty
  8. field — farmland
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cue — a signal
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rash — a series
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. sharp — clever
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cue — a hint
  21. charge — a price
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. sharp — exactly
  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