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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — to bear
  3. charge — a price
  4. field — farmland
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bass — the fish
  9. field — a subject
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. spell — letters
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bass — low music

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