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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. charge — electricity
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chair — a leader
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — in control
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — to bear
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. can — a tin
  23. board — a committee
  24. can — a tin

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