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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. charge — in control
  9. race — a contest
  10. ball — a great time
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fall — the season
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ball — a round shape

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