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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — a committee
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. clip — to cut
  18. squash — to crush
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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