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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: rush · wake · object · jam · pitcher · march · rash · board

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. board — a committee
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. object — to protest
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — the month
  8. rash — hasty
  9. march — music
  10. object — a thing
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — to get on
  18. march — the month
  19. object — an aim
  20. rash — a series
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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