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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.

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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. drill — army training
  3. board — a committee
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. drill — the tool
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — wild animals
  8. key — for a lock
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — to fit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — in music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chair — a leader
  18. key — the most important part
  19. last — to go on
  20. drill — a practice
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. board — to get on
  24. game — a match

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