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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. ball — a dance
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — a committee
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — a container
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fine — high quality
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. squash — the sport
  17. present — there
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. present — the time now
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. tube — in a tire

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