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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pound — a weight
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pound — for dogs

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