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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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Word bank
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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: stand · arm · chest · board · present · ground · content · key

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ground — crushed
  4. key — in music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. key — for a lock
  7. present — a gift
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — a committee
  13. ground — a position
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. content — the amount
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. present — the time now
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chest — a box
  21. content — happy
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. stand — on your feet

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