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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: hand · track · fan · row · board · drill · chair · foot

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. board — a committee
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. foot — a measure
  7. row — a line
  8. drill — a practice
  9. hand — help
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. drill — army training
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. track — a song
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. board — to get on
  18. track — to keep track
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — in cards
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chair — a leader

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