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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — size or range
  5. board — a committee
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — in control
  8. current — of water
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. scale — in music
  17. current — happening now
  18. hand — in cards
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. charge — a price
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — to get on

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