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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bear — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. board — to get on
  5. cap — of ice
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pass — a permit
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spring — the season
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. scale — in music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. spring — of water
  20. scale — size or range
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. board — a committee

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