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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 116 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: object · hand · board · tube · leaves · bowl · charge · bat

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — a container
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hand — in cards
  9. charge — in control
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bat — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. board — to get on
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hand — help
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. charge — electricity
  24. object — an aim

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