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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — to get on
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cap — of ice
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. charge — in control
  23. board — a committee
  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