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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. staff — employees
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. board — to get on
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pop — music
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. drill — army training
  11. chair — a leader
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. staff — a stick
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda

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