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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rash — a series
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fine — all right
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. charge — a price
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spring — of water
  20. charge — electricity
  21. board — to get on
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — a committee
  24. spring — the season

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