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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — the amount
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bound — certain
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — a committee
  12. content — happy
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. scale — in music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — obliged

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