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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. field — a subject
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. board — to get on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. charge — a price
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wind — moving air
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. field — for sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  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