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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. row — a line
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fall — the season
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. charge — a price
  11. band — a music group
  12. field — a subject
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ground — crushed
  19. band — a ring
  20. row — to paddle
  21. field — farmland
  22. fall — to drop
  23. field — for sport
  24. rock — 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