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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. roll — a list
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bowl — to roll

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