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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: staff · bear · hand · track · season · charge · board · straw

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — to keep track
  4. board — to get on
  5. season — of the year
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. track — a path
  12. board — a committee
  13. season — in sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. hand — help
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. track — a song
  19. staff — employees
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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