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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. game — a match
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. last — finally
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. board — to get on
  11. last — final
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. snap — to click
  14. capital — money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a committee
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. capital — a city
  20. last — to go on
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — electricity
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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