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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. board — a committee
  4. shower — to wash
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — to come from
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. board — to get on
  10. content — happy
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. shower — rain
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. race — a contest
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. leaves — of a tree

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