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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — in control
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bass — low music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — a price

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