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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tube — a container
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pass — a permit
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. board — to get on
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. board — a committee

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