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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — the season
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. club — for dancing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mug — a face
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — to bear
  24. deal — to handle

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