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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bound — tied together
  4. row — a line
  5. board — a committee
  6. bound — certain
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — a list
  17. board — to get on
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wind — moving air
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bound — obliged

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