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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.

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: board · bound · kick · pitch · fall · charge · craft · ground

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. craft — boats
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pitch — completely
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bound — obliged
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ground — a position
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a committee
  23. charge — in control
  24. fall — the season

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