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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. charge — a price
  3. rest — a break
  4. board — a committee
  5. roll — a cake
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. object — a thing
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rest — what's left
  10. board — to get on
  11. content — happy
  12. lean — thin
  13. object — to protest
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — happening now
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. object — an aim
  18. charge — in control
  19. rest — what's left
  20. current — electric
  21. charge — electricity
  22. roll — a list
  23. current — of water
  24. lean — to bend

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