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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — a committee
  8. bat — the animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — a match
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. net — for catching

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