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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · board · bowl · wake · march · mine · chair · ground

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. charge — a price
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — the month
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. march — music
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. charge — in control
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. chair — a leader

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