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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. charge — a price
  3. board — to get on
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — certain
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — the tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bound — obliged
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. board — a committee
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. charge — in control
  24. pitch — a sports field

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