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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
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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: mate · saw · hand · season · pop · charge · board · fine

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. charge — electricity
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — a committee
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — to get on
  8. hand — help
  9. fine — all right
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mate — to breed
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pop — music
  20. season — of the year
  21. pop — soda
  22. season — in sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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