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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ground — a position
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ground — the earth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. squash — the sport
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. squash — the vegetable

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