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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. board — to get on
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. march — the month
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. board — a committee
  13. rule — government
  14. spell — a short time
  15. march — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rule — a law
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. drill — army training
  24. bass — the fish

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