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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. face — to point toward
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — a price
  11. face — part of the head
  12. file — a line of people
  13. board — a committee
  14. file — a document
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. face — to confront
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. march — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. file — a tool

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