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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — a trace
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fine — all right
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bank — of a river
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — a committee
  23. arm — a part of something
  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