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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 124 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — to fit
  5. charge — in control
  6. spring — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — a coil
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — of ice
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spring — of water
  19. drill — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. charge — electricity
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cap — a hat
  24. drill — army training

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