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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — the time now
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. charge — in control
  8. present — a gift
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — the underground
  11. present — there
  12. tube — a container
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. board — to get on
  15. band — a ring
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. hand — help
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. board — a committee
  24. band — a music group

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