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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. board — a committee
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. march — the month
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. march — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. board — to get on

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