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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: bound · file · bore · cell · ball · mark · jam · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — a committee
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bore — to tire
  12. board — to get on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bound — certain
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cell — in biology
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bound — tied together
  24. file — a document

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