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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. board — to get on
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. club — for dancing
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. club — for golf
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. board — a committee
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. club — a group
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitch — completely
  22. key — in music
  23. hand — in cards
  24. jam — in traffic

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