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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — in control
  5. deal — to handle
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — electricity
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bulb — for light
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. charge — a price
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. clip — a video
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — a committee
  23. file — a document
  24. straw — a straw man

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