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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: toast · march · board · cap · charge · cell · ball · bear

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ball — a dance
  10. march — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bear — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. charge — a price
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a committee
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bear — the animal
  20. toast — bread
  21. board — to get on
  22. charge — in control
  23. march — the month
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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