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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cell — in biology
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. tube — the underground
  5. charge — a price
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. race — humankind
  11. board — to get on
  12. race — the arms race
  13. season — of the year
  14. charge — electricity
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — a group
  19. charge — in control
  20. race — a contest
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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