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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: rush · charge · content · mouse · field · bass · season · key

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — a subject
  4. bass — the fish
  5. season — in sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — for sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. key — in music
  18. bass — low music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. field — farmland

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