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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. club — a group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. charge — in control
  8. season — in sport
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. charge — a price
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — of the year
  17. pitch — completely
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. club — for dancing
  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