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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: ground · mug · board · rock · game · charge · wound · spring

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — a position
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ground — crushed
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spring — of water
  7. charge — in control
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — to get on
  16. spring — the season
  17. charge — a price
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mug — a face
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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