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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
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: field · content · charge · leaves · perch · spring · rash · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. field — a subject
  3. content — happy
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. field — farmland
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spring — the season
  12. charge — electricity
  13. perch — the fish
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. field — for sport
  19. content — the amount
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. perch — for a bird

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