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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: board · foot · charge · sharp · spring · clip · season · ground

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spring — the season
  3. season — in sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — in control
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. charge — a price
  9. spring — a coil
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ground — crushed
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. clip — for paper
  14. charge — electricity
  15. ground — the earth
  16. clip — to cut
  17. spring — of water
  18. clip — a video
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a committee
  22. ground — a position
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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