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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. face — to confront
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — a committee
  7. court — for sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. court — of law
  10. face — to point toward
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. wake — a trail
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bound — certain
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. board — to get on
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. court — of a king
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bowl — a football final

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