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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. charge — electricity
  3. can — a tin
  4. snap — to click
  5. charge — in control
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. game — wild animals
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. game — a match
  20. pass — a permit
  21. charge — a price
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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