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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. club — for golf
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — to be able to
  15. board — a committee
  16. club — a group
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bat — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — in control

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