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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. tear — to rip
  6. board — a committee
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tear — from crying
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. tear — from crying
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace

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