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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hand — help
  4. firm — decided
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cap — of ice
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cap — a hat
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hand — in cards
  21. board — to get on
  22. cap — a lid
  23. firm — a company
  24. coach — a trainer

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