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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. charge — a price
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — to get on
  24. chip — to eat

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