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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. pit — in a race
  6. object — a thing
  7. club — a group
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rest — a break
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. chair — a leader
  19. season — in sport
  20. content — the amount
  21. object — an aim
  22. season — of the year
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. object — to protest

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