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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. game — a match
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a great time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. board — a committee
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bound — certain
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. board — a flat piece

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