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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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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. board — a committee
  3. field — a subject
  4. charge — a price
  5. field — farmland
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mark — a grade
  9. charge — in control
  10. field — for sport
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. clip — a video
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. board — to get on
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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