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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. pound — a weight
  4. board — a committee
  5. face — part of the head
  6. charge — a price
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — to point toward
  15. board — to get on
  16. face — to confront
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tube — the underground
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tube — a container
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — shares

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