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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — to get on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fine — all right
  8. bass — low music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fall — the season
  15. pit — a hole
  16. board — a committee
  17. bound — certain
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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