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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: face · wave · charge · board · craft · ball · club · pop

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — in control
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. club — a group
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. board — to get on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — to point toward
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — to confront
  21. charge — a price
  22. club — for golf
  23. charge — electricity
  24. club — for dancing

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