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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rule — a law
  13. season — of the year
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. file — a document
  16. season — in sport
  17. rule — government
  18. sharp — clever
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. sharp — exactly

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