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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — completely
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. race — a contest
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. race — humankind
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. race — the arms race
  24. foot — a measure

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