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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — a committee
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — a permit
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. perch — the fish
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. board — to get on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. staff — employees
  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