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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cue — a hint
  3. land — ground
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — a committee
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chair — a leader
  11. land — a country
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cell — in biology
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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