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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: coach · chest · ground · stick · deal · board · chair · hand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ground — crushed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chest — of your body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chest — a box
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chest — of your body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hand — help
  21. chair — a leader
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — a committee

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