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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a committee
  9. charge — in control
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. object — to protest
  13. game — a match
  14. bass — low music
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — to get on
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. charge — electricity
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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