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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. shower — to wash
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rash — hasty
  7. board — a committee
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bore — to drill
  15. chip — for betting
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. board — to get on
  18. bore — to tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — a series
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. shower — rain
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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