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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spell — magic
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — to get on
  19. charge — electricity
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — a price

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