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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. net — in sport
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. net — after costs
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mark — a trace
  21. board — to get on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. board — a committee
  24. rush — to hurry

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