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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — to get on
  3. firm — a company
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bound — obliged
  6. capital — money
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. firm — decided
  11. chair — a leader
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — certain
  19. capital — a city
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bound — tied together
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. racket — a loud noise

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