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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. net — for catching
  3. wake — a trail
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. net — in sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — after costs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. board — a committee
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. board — to get on
  24. clip — a video

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