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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: board · bound · net · dip · object · jam · cell · march

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. board — a committee
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cell — in biology
  6. net — in sport
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. object — a thing
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — to protest
  11. march — the month
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — to get on
  16. net — after costs
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — the month
  19. object — an aim
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. march — music

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