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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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