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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. court — of a king
  3. spring — the season
  4. drill — army training
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. board — to get on
  8. court — of law
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. spring — of water
  13. snap — to click
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mate — to breed
  18. court — for sport
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mate — a partner
  24. drill — the tool

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