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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. net — in sport
  7. track — a song
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. shower — rain
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tube — a container
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. board — to get on
  16. bound — certain
  17. net — for catching
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bound — tied together
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. tube — the underground

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