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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: pass · charge · wind · last · net · ruler · field · board

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — farmland
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. net — in sport
  14. last — to go on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — after costs
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — a price
  19. last — final
  20. net — for catching
  21. board — a committee
  22. field — for sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. field — a subject

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