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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — electricity
  13. content — the amount
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. board — a committee
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bass — low music
  24. drill — the tool

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