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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stand — to bear
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. board — a committee
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. game — a match
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chair — a leader

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