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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. board — a committee
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — an injury
  9. board — to get on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cue — a hint

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