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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. charge — in control
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — a price
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stock — goods
  12. charge — electricity
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — shares
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. swing — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pass — a permit

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