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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — a committee
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — to get on
  5. chest — a box
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. land — a country
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — a price
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — electricity
  16. march — music
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. march — the month
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — in control
  24. chest — of your body

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