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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. chair — a leader
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — in control
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. craft — boats
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. last — final

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