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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wound — an injury
  5. land — a country
  6. rock — a stone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — to get on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — in control
  11. board — a committee
  12. charge — a price
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fine — all right
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. land — to come down
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. prune — to trim

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