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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — a short time
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spell — magic
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — a committee
  9. sharp — clever
  10. capital — a city
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. charge — a price
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spell — letters
  16. staff — employees
  17. charge — electricity
  18. staff — employees
  19. charge — in control
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. capital — money

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