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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. scale — in music
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. net — in sport
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — to get on

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