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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bass — low music
  5. last — finally
  6. cell — a phone
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. board — a committee
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. last — final
  14. tube — a container
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cell — in biology
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — a subject
  20. last — to go on
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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