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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. present — the time now
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. charge — a price
  5. present — there
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. band — a music group
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ground — crushed
  11. band — a ring
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ground — a position
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. present — a gift
  20. fine — all right
  21. charge — in control
  22. fine — high quality
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bowl — a football final

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