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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · fan · board · bound · rule · kid · mark · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bound — obliged
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — government
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tube — a container
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. board — to get on
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mark — a trace
  18. staff — a stick
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rule — a law
  21. board — a committee
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. kid — child
  24. tube — the underground

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