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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fall — the season
  6. chip — to eat
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — to confront
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — in a road
  16. charge — a price
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. face — part of the head

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