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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kid — child
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — to get on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — a committee
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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