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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 120 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — a committee
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pop — soda
  16. ground — a position
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. charge — a price
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bass — low music
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pop — music

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