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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lean — to bend
  3. land — to come down
  4. chair — a leader
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. pit — in a race
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. season — of the year
  19. lean — thin
  20. land — a country
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. nail — for a hammer

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