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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 120 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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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: charge · net · ruler · deal · cell · coach · stick · board

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — after costs
  5. board — a committee
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. charge — electricity
  9. board — to get on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — a price
  20. cell — a phone
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ruler — a monarch

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