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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. file — a document
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. last — final
  7. file — a line of people
  8. last — to go on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chair — a leader
  12. file — a tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. last — finally
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — a committee
  24. band — a ring

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