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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. board — a committee
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fall — the season
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. board — to get on
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fine — all right
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fine — high quality
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ground — a position
  23. cell — in biology
  24. content — happy

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