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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. charge — in control
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. firm — steady
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. field — farmland
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. dip — to sink
  14. charge — electricity
  15. field — for sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. roll — a cake
  19. firm — decided
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. field — a subject
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. firm — a company

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