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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · roll · cabinet · board · jam · foot

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. board — a committee
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a dance
  10. roll — a cake
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. roll — a list
  18. foot — part of the body

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