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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. scale — size or range
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. board — to get on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. scale — in music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. scale — for weighing

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