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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. board — to get on
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — a committee
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pop — music
  13. mug — a face
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — to rob
  18. season — in sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pop — soda
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a song
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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