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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — ground
  5. charge — a price
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — to play on
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — a committee
  11. cap — a lid
  12. charge — electricity
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cap — of ice
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — a short time
  18. swing — music
  19. board — to get on
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. land — to come down
  23. cap — a hat
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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