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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 116 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: charge · fine · press · field · scale · race · bore · spell

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. field — for sport
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fine — high quality
  5. race — humankind
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. charge — in control
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. field — farmland
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — magic
  15. field — a subject
  16. charge — electricity
  17. press — a publisher
  18. spell — letters
  19. press — newspapers
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. scale — in music
  24. press — to push

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