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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. season — in sport
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. board — a committee
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — of the year
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ball — a dance
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ball — a great time

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