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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bat — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. track — to keep track
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — a path
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. board — a committee
  18. track — a song
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. roll — on a roll

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