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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. race — the arms race
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chair — a leader
  7. craft — boats
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. court — of law
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. craft — a skill
  14. race — humankind
  15. club — for dancing
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. court — of a king
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — for golf
  20. court — for sport
  21. club — a group
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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