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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: sharp · land · board · file · charge · calf · cabinet · bat

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — ground
  4. file — a tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. file — a line of people
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. charge — in control
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. land — to come down
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — a price
  19. file — a document
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. land — a country

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