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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · land · chair · key · board · charge · tube · clip

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. key — for a lock
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a committee
  5. land — a country
  6. tube — a container
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rule — government
  10. tube — the underground
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — in control
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. clip — a video
  17. board — to get on
  18. rule — a law
  19. clip — to cut
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. key — in music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rule — to rule out

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