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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. staff — employees
  4. bound — certain
  5. craft — boats
  6. board — a committee
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — obliged
  9. present — there
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. staff — a stick
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. capital — money
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — a city
  20. craft — a skill
  21. present — a gift
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bound — tied together
  24. content — happy

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