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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — a price
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. charge — in control
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — soda
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — a match
  19. hand — in cards
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. board — a committee
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ground — crushed

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