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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. content — happy
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. club — for golf
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. club — for dancing
  8. content — the amount
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. board — a committee
  12. charge — in control
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. board — to get on
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. club — a group
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rash — a series

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