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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. last — final
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. key — the most important part
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. board — to get on
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bass — low music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hand — help
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. last — finally
  24. key — in music

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