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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — a series
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cap — a hat
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cap — of ice
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. march — music
  20. chair — a leader
  21. race — a contest
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. march — the month
  24. ruler — for measuring

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