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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: charge · jam · content · squash · bay · hand · drill · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. charge — in control
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — a committee
  12. squash — to crush
  13. content — happy
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. drill — army training
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hand — in cards
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hand — help

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