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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hand · pop · board · chair · cabinet · dip · rest · racket

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rest — a break
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pop — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pop — to visit
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pop — soda
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — a committee
  24. hand — help

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