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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · tear · bowl · board · jam · firm

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — a committee
  3. firm — a company
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. firm — steady
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. tear — to rip
  14. chair — a leader
  15. firm — decided
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll

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