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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. board — to get on
  5. stock — goods
  6. club — a group
  7. press — to push
  8. capital — a city
  9. lean — thin
  10. charge — a price
  11. press — a publisher
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lean — to bend
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. club — for golf
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — money
  24. board — a committee

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