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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. content — happy
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cell — a phone
  5. band — a ring
  6. chest — a box
  7. band — a music group
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — a trace
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mark — a grade
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. club — a group
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. chest — of your body
  18. content — the amount
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chest — of your body
  21. board — a committee
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mark — to pay attention

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