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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · clip · arm · pitch · jam · board · dip · content

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. clip — to cut
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. clip — a video
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitch — completely
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rash — a series
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. content — happy
  24. arm — part of the body

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