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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. degree — an amount
  7. board — to get on
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bound — obliged
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rock — music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. content — the amount
  17. board — a committee
  18. rock — a stone
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bound — certain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  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