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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. firm — a company
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — in control
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. kick — in football
  13. firm — decided
  14. board — to get on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. land — a country
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — a price
  23. land — to come down
  24. bank — of a river

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