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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. snap — to click
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. bark — to shout
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. board — a committee
  8. net — for catching
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. date — the fruit
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fine — all right
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. board — to get on
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. date — on the calendar

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