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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. roll — a list
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. band — a music group
  14. spell — letters
  15. content — happy
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. content — the amount
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. board — a committee

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