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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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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: club · stick · board · dip · last · wound · mark · chair

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. club — for dancing
  5. chair — a leader
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. last — final
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wound — an injury
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mark — a trace
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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