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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. board — to get on
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. board — a committee
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hand — in cards
  11. scale — in music
  12. rock — music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a ring
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hand — help
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — in biology

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