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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. drill — army training
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ground — a position
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pound — a weight
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. key — in music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. charge — in control
  20. key — the most important part
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. key — for a lock
  24. squash — the vegetable

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