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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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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: jam · racket · bore · land · chair · charge · net · board

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. land — a country
  3. board — to get on
  4. net — for catching
  5. charge — in control
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chair — a leader
  9. land — ground
  10. bore — to tire
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — to come down
  16. charge — electricity
  17. net — in sport
  18. bore — to drill
  19. charge — a price
  20. board — a committee
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. chair — a professorship

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