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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pop — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. club — a group
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — for golf
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — a committee
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — to visit
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pop — soda
  24. board — to get 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