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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — to get on
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. race — humankind
  5. club — for golf
  6. key — the most important part
  7. charge — in control
  8. club — a group
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — electricity
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. club — for dancing
  16. race — the arms race
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. plane — a tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — a division
  24. race — a contest

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