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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ground — crushed
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — a committee
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. ground — the earth
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fall — to drop
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fall — the season
  18. ground — a position
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — to get on
  23. charge — in control
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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