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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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 leader
  3. branch — a division
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. board — a committee
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. squash — to crush
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — a permit

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