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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. board — a committee
  7. content — the amount
  8. charge — a price
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. track — to keep track
  11. charge — electricity
  12. track — a path
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitch — completely
  16. track — a song
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. board — to get 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