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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chest — a box
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. game — a match
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. board — a committee
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. charge — in control
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — all right
  21. board — to get on
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fine — high quality
  24. can — a tin

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