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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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 — a committee
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chest — of your body
  5. root — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. chest — a box
  8. can — to be able to
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — wild animals
  12. board — to get on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chair — a leader
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. root — the cause
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. game — a match
  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