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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — all right
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. charge — in control
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chest — a box
  9. net — in sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. net — after costs
  13. squash — the sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. board — to get on
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. net — for catching
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chair — a leader
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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