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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · board · tube · stem · charge · fall · court · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. charge — a price
  3. court — of law
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. court — for sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — to drop
  10. charge — in control
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. court — of a king
  18. charge — electricity
  19. stem — to come from
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fall — the season

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