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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — the fish
  4. charge — in control
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — to get on
  9. current — happening now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — a price
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — electric
  16. chip — for betting
  17. board — a committee
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. charge — electricity
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. perch — for a bird

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