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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — a committee
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. can — a tin
  10. pitch — completely
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. board — to get on
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. squash — to crush
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — to be able to
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wind — to turn a key

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