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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. game — wild animals
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — in golf
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — a price
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tear — to rip
  10. date — the fruit
  11. toast — bread
  12. charge — in control
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hand — in cards
  18. tear — from crying
  19. charge — electricity
  20. swing — music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. board — to get on
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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