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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. track — a path
  3. cap — a lid
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mug — a face
  7. rash — hasty
  8. track — a song
  9. hand — help
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. band — a music group
  15. charge — a price
  16. band — a ring
  17. rash — a series
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cap — of ice
  20. hand — in cards
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mug — a cup
  23. charge — in control
  24. track — to keep track

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