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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. can — a tin
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. roll — a list

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