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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. board — a committee
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. board — to get on
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. game — a match
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chair — a leader
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. degree — from a university
  20. game — wild animals
  21. roll — a cake
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. safe — out of danger
  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