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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kid — to tease
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mark — a trace
  7. net — in sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — a price
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. net — after costs
  13. board — to get on
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — a committee
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — for catching
  20. mark — a grade
  21. charge — electricity
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kid — child
  24. staff — a stick

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