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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. can — to be able to
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pop — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. board — to get on
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — a tin

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