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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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. roll — on a roll
  4. race — the arms race
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. roll — a cake
  9. board — a committee
  10. chair — a leader
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. board — to get on
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stem — to come from
  20. roll — a list
  21. season — in sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — of the year
  24. stem — of a plant

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