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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. field — farmland
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. field — a subject
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — for pool
  19. field — for sport
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chair — to sit on

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