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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. current — of water
  3. cell — in biology
  4. chair — a leader
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — the fish
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hand — help
  19. cell — a phone
  20. current — happening now
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. board — to get on
  24. perch — for a bird

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