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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. land — to come down
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — to play on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — a tin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — the most important part
  15. land — ground
  16. board — a committee
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. key — for a lock
  20. can — a tin
  21. charge — a price
  22. land — a country
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — in music

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