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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — after costs
  4. charge — in control
  5. rest — what's left
  6. board — to get on
  7. ground — a position
  8. net — for catching
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. net — in sport
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — a price
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — a break
  18. charge — electricity

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