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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pop — soda
  5. tear — to rip
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bound — certain
  14. rock — music
  15. board — to get on
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — in sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pop — music
  21. season — of the year
  22. bound — obliged
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. season — to add flavour

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