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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — finally
  4. present — the time now
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. band — a music group
  10. board — a committee
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. last — final
  15. present — there
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mug — to rob
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — a price
  21. mug — a cup
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mug — a face
  24. last — to go 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