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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — magic
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stock — shares
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stock — goods
  20. board — to get on
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bear — the animal

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