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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: leaves · dip · board · net · land · cue · hide · chair

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. board — a committee
  2. dip — to sink
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. board — to get on
  7. net — in sport
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — for pool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — a signal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cue — a hint
  23. land — a country
  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