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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fine — all right
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. net — for catching
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. board — to get on
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bound — certain
  14. fine — high quality
  15. content — happy
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — the amount
  19. bat — the animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. board — a committee
  24. wave — of the sea

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