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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. charge — electricity
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. court — for sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. land — a country
  9. board — a committee
  10. deal — to handle
  11. land — to come down
  12. board — to get on
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — of law
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. court — of a king
  17. race — the arms race
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — the tool
  20. charge — a price
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. land — ground
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. charge — in control

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