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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. board — a committee
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. perch — the fish
  8. charge — in control
  9. board — to get on
  10. rock — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. net — for catching
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — money
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — gave birth

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