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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a committee
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bulb — for light
  13. content — happy
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — the amount
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — a law
  24. cell — a phone

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