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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. spring — a coil
  12. charge — in control
  13. spring — the season
  14. board — a committee
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. leaves — to go away

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