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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rest — a break
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. pass — a permit
  11. present — a gift
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — the time now
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — a committee
  16. pit — in a race
  17. charge — in control
  18. stock — shares
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — there
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — to get on
  24. stock — a soup base

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