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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. last — to go on
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. scale — in music
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mate — to breed
  13. last — finally
  14. charge — in control
  15. board — a committee
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. track — a path
  19. last — final
  20. mate — a partner
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. track — a song
  23. mate — a friend
  24. track — to keep track

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