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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. band — a ring
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. land — a country
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. game — a match
  10. squash — to crush
  11. game — wild animals
  12. land — to come down
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. land — ground
  19. bore — to drill
  20. board — a committee
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. board — to get on

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