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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bore — to drill
  11. charge — a price
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. season — of the year
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bore — to tire
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitch — completely

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