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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: rock · staff · board · dip · nail · land · charge · stick

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. land — a country
  4. rock — a stone
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — a committee
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — ground
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to sink

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