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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. board — a committee
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — low music
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — a city
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — to get on
  15. bass — the fish
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bank — of a river
  21. scale — in music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. capital — money

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