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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · rock · hand · present · bowl · chair · face · fan

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. present — there
  13. ground — a position
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — to confront
  18. rock — music
  19. hand — help
  20. present — the time now
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fan — to cool the air

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