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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cue — for pool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. tube — a container
  5. charge — a price
  6. bound — certain
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cue — a hint
  12. snap — to click
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. charge — in control
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rash — a series
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. board — to get on
  23. bound — obliged
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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