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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hand — help
  14. ball — a dance
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. net — for catching
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. board — a committee
  20. net — after costs
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rash — a series
  24. ball — a round shape

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