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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: ball · stand · board · roll · mine · jam · chest · bound

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — obliged
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stand — to bear
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — a list
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bound — certain
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chest — a box
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ball — a dance

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