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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. board — a committee
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. field — for sport
  24. charge — electricity

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