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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spell — magic
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spell — letters
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. club — a group
  10. roll — a cake
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. club — for golf
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. roll — a list
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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