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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · track · net · fall · wind · rock · game · stand

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. charge — in control
  5. fall — the season
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wind — moving air
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — to keep track
  11. game — a match
  12. track — a path
  13. fall — to drop
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — electricity
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rock — a stone
  21. track — a song
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — music

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