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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — in control
  3. rash — a series
  4. club — a group
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — completely
  11. club — for golf
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a committee
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rash — hasty
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — to get on
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rash — on the skin

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