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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — in control
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. charge — a price
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. charge — electricity
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. board — a committee
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chair — a professorship

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