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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. board — to get on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stand — to bear
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — a price
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. charge — in control
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to sink
  24. charge — electricity

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