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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. board — a committee
  3. ground — crushed
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. club — for dancing
  7. row — a line
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. board — to get on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ground — the earth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. field — farmland
  16. club — a group
  17. field — for sport
  18. row — to paddle
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. club — for golf
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. can — a tin
  24. field — a subject

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