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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cell — a phone
  3. content — the amount
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — to get on
  8. content — happy
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — the season
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. board — a committee
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. current — of water
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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