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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. board — to get on
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — the tool
  11. season — of the year
  12. spring — the season
  13. cap — a hat
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. firm — steady
  19. scale — in music
  20. cap — a lid
  21. drill — army training
  22. firm — a company
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — a practice

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