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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 124 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. spring — the season
  3. chair — a leader
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. spring — of water
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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