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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. board — a committee
  3. hand — in cards
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — electricity
  12. tube — the underground
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. charge — a price
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. hand — help
  20. board — to get on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. field — for sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — a container

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