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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. content — the amount
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — certain
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rock — a stone
  13. content — happy
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ground — crushed
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. board — to get on
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stand — on your feet

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