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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: game · cap · bound · chair · land · saw · arm · bore

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bore — to drill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — certain
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — a country
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. land — ground
  15. game — wild animals
  16. land — to come down
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. game — a match
  24. arm — part of the body

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