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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. charge — a price
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. object — an aim
  6. file — a document
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — the month
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — to protest
  11. file — a tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — the month
  14. object — a thing
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. march — music
  18. kid — child
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. charge — electricity
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. file — a line of people
  24. kid — to tease

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