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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: field · charge · net · perch · lash · stand · game · object

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. net — for catching
  3. field — for sport
  4. stand — to bear
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. object — an aim
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — wild animals
  11. field — farmland
  12. game — a match
  13. net — in sport
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. charge — in control

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