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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. That must've been 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 — a leader
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — to rob
  8. board — to get on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a face
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. clip — a video
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rush — hurry
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rush — a thrill

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