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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. charge — a price
  10. root — of a plant
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mate — to breed
  13. march — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. root — the cause
  16. march — the month
  17. mate — a partner
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. root — of a word
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — in control
  23. march — the month
  24. date — on the calendar

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