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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. board — a committee
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — in control
  7. sharp — clever
  8. land — a country
  9. staff — a stick
  10. land — ground
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. staff — employees
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a document
  19. scale — in music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. file — a line of people
  22. charge — electricity
  23. file — a tool
  24. board — to get on

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