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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a committee
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. present — there
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. present — the time now
  11. spell — letters
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. present — a gift
  18. club — a group
  19. cell — a phone
  20. spell — magic
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bass — low music
  24. chair — to sit 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