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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · bear · charge · nail · content · field · bat · key

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — for sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. field — a subject
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. charge — a price
  11. content — the amount
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — for a lock
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. charge — in control
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. field — farmland
  24. charge — electricity

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