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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. last — final
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. last — finally
  9. file — a document
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. board — a committee
  23. bound — tied together
  24. last — to go on

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