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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chair — a leader
  3. object — a thing
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — wild animals
  7. court — of a king
  8. object — to protest
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cue — a hint
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. game — a match
  13. board — to get on
  14. court — of law
  15. cue — a signal
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — for sport
  20. row — a line
  21. object — an aim
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. land — to come down
  24. cue — for pool

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