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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. board — a committee
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. court — of law
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a match
  18. mug — a cup
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mug — a face
  22. court — of a king
  23. board — to get on
  24. court — for sport

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