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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 · present · firm · tube · wake · pop · jam · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — a container
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. present — the time now
  6. firm — a company
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. chest — of your body
  16. present — there
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. board — to get on
  21. pop — soda
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — decided
  24. pop — music

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