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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mate — to breed
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. charge — a price
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. swing — in golf
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. branch — a division
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. board — a committee
  16. charge — in control
  17. mate — a friend
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. swing — music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. capital — a city
  23. charge — electricity
  24. swing — to play on

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