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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
468
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: board · clip · nail · pass · racket · jam · bear · roll

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. roll — a list
  3. bear — the animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. roll — a cake
  6. board — to get on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. clip — a video
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pass — a permit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. clip — to cut
  24. jam — a tight spot

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