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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: present · roll · charge · cue · board · spell · land · mine

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. land — to come down
  3. cue — for pool
  4. board — to get on
  5. roll — a cake
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — a committee
  12. charge — in control
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. land — ground
  16. charge — a price
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. roll — a list
  19. present — a gift
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. mine — for digging

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