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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. swing — to play on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. board — a committee
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. date — the fruit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — a price
  13. board — to get on
  14. pop — soda
  15. swing — in golf
  16. land — to come down
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. charge — in control
  23. pop — to visit
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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