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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. swing — in golf
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. chair — a leader
  21. march — music
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. march — the month

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