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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — to get on
  4. cold — an illness
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. charge — a price
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pitch — completely
  22. staff — employees
  23. charge — in control
  24. cold — not warm

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