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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wind — moving air
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. board — to get on
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. swing — in golf
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a ring
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. band — a music group
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — to play on
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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