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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chair — a leader
  17. can — to be able to
  18. toast — bread
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. board — a committee
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — a flat piece

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