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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. board — a committee
  3. roll — a list
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. present — a gift
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mine — for digging
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — in control
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stock — shares
  18. present — there
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. board — to get on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — goods
  23. charge — a price
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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