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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. roll — a list
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pit — a hole
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cold — not warm
  13. land — a country
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. land — to come down
  17. board — a committee
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. foot — a measure
  23. roll — a cake
  24. land — ground

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