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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. board — to get on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. object — to protest
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — an aim
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. band — a music group
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mine — for digging
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a committee
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pass — to spend time

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