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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. object — to protest
  3. tube — a container
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rush — hurry
  10. row — a line
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — a price
  15. bank — of a river
  16. object — an aim
  17. board — to get on
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — a committee
  24. bank — for money

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