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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cold — an illness
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. squash — to crush
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cap — a hat
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. squash — the sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cap — of ice
  24. board — a committee

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