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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. track — to keep track
  4. scale — size or range
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — in a race
  10. board — a committee
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. board — to get on
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. scale — in music
  18. press — to push
  19. bound — certain
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pit — a hole
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. press — a publisher
  24. cell — in biology

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