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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fall — the season
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — a price
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rest — a break
  22. charge — in control
  23. bass — low music
  24. fall — to drop

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