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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — a series
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rash — hasty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stand — on your feet

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