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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. charge — in control
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fall — the season
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chair — a leader
  10. roll — a list
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — a price
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. roll — a cake
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — all right
  22. charge — electricity
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. ball — a round shape

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