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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: field · leaves · pitcher · wake · charge · root · mug · fine

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mug — a cup
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — all right
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. root — of a word
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mug — to rob
  17. charge — electricity
  18. field — farmland
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. field — a subject
  23. charge — a price
  24. root — the cause

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