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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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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 · jam · bark · foot · pass · chip · season · roll

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — for betting
  5. roll — a list
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. board — to get on
  10. chip — to eat
  11. board — a committee
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. season — of the year
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. season — in sport
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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