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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — magic
  4. charge — electricity
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stock — shares
  9. land — to come down
  10. lean — thin
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — the tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. drill — army training
  17. charge — in control
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — letters
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lean — to rest against

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