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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a committee
  6. fall — to drop
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cap — of ice
  9. firm — decided
  10. fall — the season
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. cap — a lid
  16. board — to get on
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. firm — steady
  20. bound — obliged
  21. firm — a company
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chair — a leader

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