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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. board — to get on
  10. bound — tied together
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. key — for a lock
  14. board — a committee
  15. chest — of your body
  16. track — a path
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — a song
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. chest — a box
  24. board — a flat piece

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