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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. cell — a phone
  5. present — the time now
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — soda
  10. charge — a price
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. present — there
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cell — in biology
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — a gift
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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