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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spring — of water
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — a coil
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spring — the season
  11. row — to paddle
  12. club — a group
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. row — a line
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — a committee
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — of the year
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — for golf

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