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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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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: roll · rest · deal · last · cabinet · bound · jam · board

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. last — finally
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bound — certain
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. last — to go on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — final
  21. board — to get on
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. board — a committee
  24. jam — in traffic

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