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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. march — music
  5. key — in music
  6. object — an aim
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — the month
  10. kid — child
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. march — the month
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — to get on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. object — a thing
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. object — to protest
  22. chair — a leader
  23. firm — a company
  24. board — a committee

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