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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. charge — a price
  4. drill — a practice
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — all right
  8. stem — to come from
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — army training
  14. clip — a video
  15. fine — high quality
  16. toast — bread
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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