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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. track — to keep track
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. track — a song
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. scale — in music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a path
  24. patient — a sick person

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