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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. firm — steady
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. board — to get on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. board — a committee
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chair — a professorship

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