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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. board — a committee
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — an aim
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bass — the fish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mark — a grade
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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