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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. charge — in control
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — a country
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a ring
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pit — a hole
  16. charge — a price
  17. pit — in a race
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — to get on
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — to come down

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