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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. charge — electricity
  3. content — the amount
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — happy
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rash — hasty
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — a series
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. charge — a price
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. drill — army training
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pound — a weight

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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