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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. present — the time now
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — letters
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. board — to get on
  15. spell — magic
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pound — a weight

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