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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. rock — music
  8. chip — for betting
  9. drill — army training
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. drill — the tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. charge — a price
  17. chip — to eat
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rock — a stone
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. charge — in control
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. drill — a practice
  24. last — to go on

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