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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. board — a committee
  4. bound — obliged
  5. board — to get on
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rule — government
  13. mark — a trace
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bound — tied together
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rule — a law
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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