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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. firm — a company
  5. game — a match
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cue — a hint
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — for pool
  13. present — a gift
  14. branch — a division
  15. present — the time now
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. present — there
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. game — wild animals
  21. firm — steady
  22. dip — to sink
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. firm — decided

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