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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. board — a committee
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. board — to get on
  9. content — the amount
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pound — a weight
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. toast — bread
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. club — a group

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