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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cap — a lid
  6. charge — electricity
  7. court — of law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — a price
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — in sport
  15. cap — a hat
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — of the year
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. court — of a king
  24. board — to get on

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