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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · face · fine · chair · press · board · cell · ball

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. charge — in control
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fine — high quality
  8. press — to push
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. board — to get on
  12. cell — in biology
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. press — a publisher
  16. face — to confront
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chair — a leader
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — a committee

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