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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — a price
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a skill
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — to get on
  7. charge — in control
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a committee
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. root — the cause
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. craft — boats
  14. root — of a word
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. board — a flat piece

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