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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hand — help
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. present — there
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — to get on
  8. rest — a break
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — a gift
  11. chair — a leader
  12. present — the time now
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. tube — a container
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. board — a committee
  24. fan — a supporter

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