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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — to get on
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — a committee
  8. net — in sport
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. content — happy
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fall — the season
  21. net — for catching
  22. content — the amount
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mouse — the animal

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