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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. board — a committee
  3. cell — in biology
  4. kick — in football
  5. bass — low music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tube — a container
  9. rule — a law
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. toast — bread
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bass — the fish
  15. deal — to handle
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. board — to get on
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — government

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