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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. board — to get on
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. suit — to fit
  5. root — of a word
  6. court — of law
  7. root — the cause
  8. race — the arms race
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. race — humankind
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hand — in cards
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. race — a contest
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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