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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chair — a leader
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cue — a hint
  5. swing — music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. board — a committee
  9. court — of law
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. swing — in golf
  12. field — farmland
  13. board — to get on
  14. object — to protest
  15. field — a subject
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. court — for sport
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. object — a thing
  22. swing — to play on
  23. field — for sport
  24. object — an aim

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