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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — magic
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — a price
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — to get on
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — letters
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — electricity
  24. board — a committee

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