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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 120 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: foot · racket · mine · season · board · arm · chair · spell

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mine — for digging
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. board — to get on
  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