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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. board — a committee
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — the season
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. pop — soda
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — to get on
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ground — a position
  21. pop — music
  22. charge — a price
  23. rule — a law
  24. charge — in control

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