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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chair — a leader
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. board — a committee
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. season — in sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a ring
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. board — to get on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. season — of the year
  23. bowl — to roll
  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