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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. track — a path
  3. tear — from crying
  4. file — a tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — a price
  7. tear — to rip
  8. march — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — a song
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — to keep track
  17. file — a line of people
  18. charge — electricity
  19. file — a document
  20. march — the month
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. board — a committee
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tear — from crying

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