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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. club — for golf
  7. board — a committee
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — in control
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. race — humankind
  13. charge — a price
  14. race — the arms race
  15. capital — money
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for dancing
  19. capital — a city
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. race — a contest
  24. club — a group

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