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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. board — a committee
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — to get on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. scale — in music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — a flat piece

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