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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. charge — a price
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. pop — soda
  8. charge — in control
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. board — a committee
  11. pop — to visit
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — wild animals
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. game — a match
  21. current — electric
  22. pop — music
  23. board — to get on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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