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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: march · board · leaves · safe · jam · wake · content · bulb

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. board — to get on
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. content — happy
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — a committee
  24. wake — a trail

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