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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: clip · stand · shower · spring · safe · board · track · jam

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. track — a path
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. track — a song
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — to keep track
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. shower — to wash
  13. clip — for paper
  14. shower — rain
  15. spring — a coil
  16. clip — to cut
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spring — of water
  19. clip — a video
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spring — the season
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stand — on your feet

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