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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rash — a series
  5. land — ground
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rash — hasty
  10. land — to come down
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wax — to grow
  15. land — a country
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. deal — to handle
  18. board — to get on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. board — a committee
  24. wax — in the ear

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