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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. board — to get on
  3. rash — a series
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. board — a committee
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ground — a position
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ground — the earth
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chest — a box
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ground — crushed

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