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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. staff — employees
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. craft — boats
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of a king
  14. board — to get on
  15. craft — a skill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chest — a box
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. board — a committee

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