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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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. fine — a penalty
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cell — in biology
  9. board — a committee
  10. tube — a container
  11. capital — money
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fine — all right
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. content — the amount
  19. capital — a city
  20. cell — a phone
  21. tube — the underground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cell — in a prison

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