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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — in control
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cold — an illness
  16. land — a country
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. board — to get on
  20. tube — a container
  21. charge — a price
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cold — not warm

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