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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rush — hurry
  4. charge — a price
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. charge — electricity
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. board — to get on
  19. spell — magic
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. charge — in control
  24. stand — on your feet

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