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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. board — a committee
  3. land — ground
  4. can — a tin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pit — a hole
  8. land — a country
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tear — to rip
  13. land — to come down
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — in control
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — a price
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — to get on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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