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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — to get on
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cell — in biology
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. march — music
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. season — of the year
  15. board — a committee
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mark — a grade

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