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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stem — to come from
  4. charge — a price
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. charge — electricity
  9. board — a committee
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. last — to go on
  12. pound — a weight
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. last — finally
  15. pitch — completely
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. last — final
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. charge — in control

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