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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. board — a committee
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — the underground
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — for digging
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. tube — a container
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — to get on

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