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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. board — a committee
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. march — music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — to get on
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. content — the amount
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. drill — army training
  13. content — happy
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. firm — a company
  17. vault — a safe
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. firm — steady
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. march — the month
  23. firm — decided
  24. march — the month

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