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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cue — a signal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — electricity
  12. band — a ring
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kid — child
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. charge — in control
  18. cue — for pool
  19. kid — to tease
  20. board — to get on
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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