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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. board — to get on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. sharp — clever
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. squash — the vegetable

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