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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. club — for golf
  7. fall — the season
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. board — a committee
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cap — a hat
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — a leader
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. club — a group
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. scale — in music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — to drop
  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