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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. board — to get on
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. board — a committee
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — there
  13. swing — music
  14. charge — in control
  15. present — the time now
  16. wind — moving air
  17. charge — a price
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — a gift
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — all right
  24. fan — a supporter

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