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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 currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. race — humankind
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. race — a contest
  5. pop — music
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — to get on
  8. capital — a city
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. capital — money
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bore — to drill
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — to tire
  23. charge — in control
  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