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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. march — the month
  3. board — to get on
  4. wax — to grow
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. shower — rain
  14. chair — a leader
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. shower — to wash
  20. board — a committee
  21. net — for catching
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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