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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bound — certain
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. band — a ring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. band — a music group

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