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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. content — happy
  10. board — to get on
  11. content — the amount
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cap — a hat
  17. charge — a price
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. cap — of ice
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — in control

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