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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. spell — magic
  5. file — a line of people
  6. charge — electricity
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — to get on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spell — a short time
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. file — a tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — a price
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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