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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: sharp · charge · foot · hand · field · stem · bear · jam

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. charge — in control
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. field — for sport
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — a price
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — help
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bear — the animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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