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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — in control
  5. object — an aim
  6. charge — electricity
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — a committee
  9. object — a thing
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. content — the amount
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — happy
  18. file — a line of people
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — the fish
  21. object — to protest
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. board — to get on
  24. content — videos and posts

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