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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. board — a committee
  2. cold — an illness
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. capital — a city
  9. board — to get on
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cold — not warm
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chair — a leader
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. capital — money
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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