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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. band — a ring
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bound — tied together
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — in a race
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. band — a music group
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bound — certain

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