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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — for a lock
  8. squash — to crush
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bore — to tire
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. board — to get on
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bore — to drill
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — a price
  24. board — a flat piece

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