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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cue — for pool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. court — of law
  5. spell — a short time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cue — a hint
  10. spell — letters
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. swing — to play on
  15. board — to get on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spell — magic
  20. content — the amount
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. swing — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — a signal

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