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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — for sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — a division
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. court — of a king
  12. board — to get on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. court — of law
  24. deal — to handle

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