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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stock — shares
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stock — goods
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lean — thin
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lean — to bend
  23. charge — in control
  24. board — to get on

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