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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. board — to get on
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — a company
  8. board — a committee
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. charge — in control
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chair — a leader
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — electricity
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — a price
  20. firm — decided
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fall — the season

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