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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. board — a committee
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mug — a face
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. game — a match
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — a cup
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chair — a leader

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