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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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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fine — high quality
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spell — letters
  7. board — to get on
  8. fine — all right
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. content — the amount
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. board — a committee
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — happy

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