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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ground — crushed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bound — certain
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chair — a leader
  10. shower — rain
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ground — a position
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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