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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. charge — electricity
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. board — to get on
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. prune — to trim
  7. land — to come down
  8. charge — a price
  9. net — after costs
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. prune — to trim
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — in sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. board — a committee
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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