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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. firm — decided
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chest — of your body
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — for digging
  7. band — a ring
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — a company
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rush — hurry
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chest — a box
  21. firm — steady
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. jam — in traffic

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