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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 120 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: lean · bank · content · board · rash · rock · court · charge

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rock — music
  3. charge — in control
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rash — hasty
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. court — of a king
  12. bank — of a river
  13. content — happy
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — of law
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — for sport
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rash — a series
  22. lean — thin
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — the amount

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