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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chest — a box
  3. court — of law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. board — a committee
  8. rule — a law
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rule — government
  12. track — a path
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. firm — a company
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — to get on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — for sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. court — of a king
  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