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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. toast — bread
  7. net — after costs
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — army training
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — to bear
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. net — for catching
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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