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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. firm — decided
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. board — a committee
  5. mate — a partner
  6. board — to get on
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. staff — employees
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. staff — a stick
  13. court — of law
  14. mate — a friend
  15. foot — a measure
  16. court — for sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. firm — steady
  19. staff — employees
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. court — of a king
  22. firm — a company
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. foot — the bottom

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