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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. clip — for paper
  4. craft — a skill
  5. suit — to fit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — boats
  8. present — the time now
  9. suit — in cards
  10. present — there
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. suit — clothes
  14. board — a committee
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — to get on
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. clip — to cut
  19. present — a gift
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. mouse — the animal

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