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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. roll — a list
  3. bass — low music
  4. roll — a cake
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. board — to get on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the fish
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. charge — a price
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bat — in an idiom

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