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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · rest · march · jam · field · charge · stand · shower

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. march — the month
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. field — farmland
  10. charge — a price
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — in control
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. march — music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. march — the month
  20. field — for sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. field — a subject
  24. stand — to bear

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