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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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. board — to get on
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a ring
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — a committee
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. charge — a price
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — the animal
  22. race — humankind
  23. charge — in control
  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