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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. charge — electricity
  4. board — a committee
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. charge — in control
  8. scale — in music
  9. charge — a price
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — to bend
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — size or range
  24. board — to get on

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