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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tube — a container
  3. charge — electricity
  4. present — a gift
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. present — there
  8. board — to get on
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cap — of ice
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. board — a committee
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. scale — in music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. present — the time now
  23. cap — a hat
  24. calf — of the leg

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