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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — money
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — a price
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — to get on
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. capital — a city
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. staff — a stick
  23. board — a committee
  24. charge — electricity

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