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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. scale — size or range
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — in music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. present — the time now
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a committee
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — animal skin

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