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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: jam · bass · dip · board · tear · ground · lie · pop

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pop — music
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ground — a position
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. dip — to sink
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pop — soda
  10. board — to get on
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — to visit
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. ground — crushed

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