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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. board — a committee
  3. present — there
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. present — the time now
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — the sport
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fall — the season
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lean — to bend
  19. board — to get on
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fall — to drop
  22. present — a gift
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a flat piece

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