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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. board — a committee
  3. season — in sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — the most important part
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. key — in music
  9. present — the time now
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chest — a box
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. season — of the year
  22. chest — of your body
  23. present — there
  24. chair — to sit on

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