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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. board — a committee
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. board — to get on
  5. march — the month
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. march — music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mark — a grade
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mark — a trace
  22. scale — in music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. swing — music

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