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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mug — a face
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — a price
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rule — government
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. board — to get on
  22. bat — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. cold — an illness

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