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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitch — completely
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bound — certain
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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