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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chair — a leader
  6. board — a committee
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fork — in a road
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — to get on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cell — in biology
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tube — a container
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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