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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. band — a ring
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. season — in sport
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. board — to get on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. charge — in control
  10. plane — a tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — electricity
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. board — a committee
  23. season — of the year
  24. band — a music group

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