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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. scale — in music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. charge — electricity
  13. row — a line
  14. ball — a dance
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. row — to paddle

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