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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bound — obliged
  3. content — the amount
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — the fish
  7. content — happy
  8. board — to get on
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — certain
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — low music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of a tree

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