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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. deal — to handle
  3. squash — to crush
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. charge — a price
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a great time
  8. march — the month
  9. last — to go on
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. last — finally
  12. saw — the tool
  13. last — final
  14. squash — the sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. ball — a dance
  18. march — music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. charge — in control
  24. ball — a round shape

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