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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — to come from
  5. board — a committee
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — a hat
  8. last — finally
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. club — a group
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. last — to go on
  14. club — for dancing
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. board — to get on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. club — for golf
  20. cap — a lid
  21. last — final
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. patient — a sick person

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