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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bound — obliged
  3. present — there
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — in control
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. staff — employees
  9. bound — tied together
  10. present — a gift
  11. staff — a stick
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. file — a tool
  14. march — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. board — a committee
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — to get on
  23. file — a document
  24. present — the time now

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