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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. content — happy
  4. bass — the fish
  5. charge — in control
  6. mate — a partner
  7. charge — electricity
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. content — the amount
  10. bass — low music
  11. last — to go on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. charge — a price
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — a committee
  19. date — the fruit
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — to get on
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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