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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a music group
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chest — a box
  11. content — the amount
  12. band — a ring
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pit — a hole
  21. content — happy
  22. chest — of your body
  23. object — to protest
  24. board — a committee

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