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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — to eat
  17. board — to get on
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chip — in a computer
  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