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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — obliged
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bound — certain
  9. hand — help
  10. race — the arms race
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. board — to get on
  13. shower — to wash
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bound — tied together
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. present — a gift
  18. shower — rain
  19. present — the time now
  20. race — a contest
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — a committee

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