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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lean — to bend
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. charge — a price
  8. net — for catching
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. current — of water
  12. charge — electricity
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — wild animals
  15. scale — in music
  16. board — a committee
  17. lean — thin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — electric
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. current — happening now
  24. deal — an agreement

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