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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. court — of law
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fall — the season
  8. drill — the tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. scale — in music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. court — for sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. charge — electricity
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mouse — the animal

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