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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. firm — steady
  3. board — a committee
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. firm — a company
  7. board — to get on
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — not warm
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chair — a leader
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. firm — decided
  23. cold — an illness
  24. leaves — to go away

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