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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you settled on 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. drill — army training
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. snap — to click
  4. chip — for betting
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. date — the fruit
  8. charge — electricity
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cell — in biology
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chip — to eat
  21. charge — in control
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. date — on the calendar
  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