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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. object — to protest
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. branch — a division
  13. board — to get on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bore — to drill
  20. craft — a skill
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. craft — boats

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