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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — a lid
  5. last — final
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. board — a committee
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — of ice
  14. charge — a price
  15. ball — a great time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. last — finally
  21. charge — in control
  22. fork — in a road
  23. charge — electricity
  24. last — to go on

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