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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — the season
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — a stone
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chair — a leader
  16. scale — in music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — of water

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