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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rush — hurry
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. firm — decided
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. firm — steady
  11. pit — a hole
  12. branch — a division
  13. board — a committee
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. firm — a company
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pit — in a race
  24. board — to get on

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