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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. capital — money
  3. charge — a price
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — a break
  9. charge — in control
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. charge — electricity
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. capital — a city
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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