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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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · suit · scale · board · jam · arm · bay · wound

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. suit — to fit
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. scale — in music
  8. board — a committee
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — to get on
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — farmland
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. field — for sport
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — in cards
  24. arm — a part of something

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