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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. game — a match
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. game — wild animals
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. swing — in golf
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. board — to get on
  13. current — of water
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. board — a committee
  16. swing — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. charge — a price
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. swing — to play on
  23. fork — in a road
  24. charge — in control

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