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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: mine · pop · board · pitcher · game · charge · toast · kid

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. charge — in control
  3. board — to get on
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pop — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. pop — soda
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kid — child
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. board — a flat piece

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