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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · board · bark · race · jam · cue · cold · fan

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cold — an illness
  9. race — humankind
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. board — a committee
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — to get on
  17. race — a contest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cue — a hint
  24. can — to be able to

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