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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. chest — a box
  9. scale — in music
  10. march — the month
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. board — to get on
  16. march — music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stock — a soup base

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