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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: ground · field · mark · fork · content · straw · charge · rest

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fork — in a road
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. ground — the earth
  8. content — happy
  9. ground — a position
  10. field — for sport
  11. rest — a break
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ground — crushed
  20. field — farmland
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. content — the amount
  24. mark — to pay attention

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