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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bass — low music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — wild animals
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. game — a match
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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