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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. object — an aim
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. board — to get on
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. object — to protest
  21. bass — low music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bear — to put up with
  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