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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — a break
  4. cell — in biology
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. board — a committee
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. board — to get on
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. scale — in music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rest — what's left

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