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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. board — to get on
  3. charge — in control
  4. board — a committee
  5. charge — electricity
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. fork — in a road
  11. squash — the sport
  12. land — to come down
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. drill — the tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. charge — a price
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. drill — army training
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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