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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. race — a contest
  3. spring — the season
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. suit — clothes
  6. chair — a leader
  7. suit — to fit
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — low music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. race — humankind
  23. board — to get on
  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