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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — in control
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fine — high quality
  13. staff — a stick
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. charge — electricity
  21. board — to get on
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. straw — dry grass

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