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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.

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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.

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: land · row · ball · chair · fine · chest · board · kick

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — ground
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ball — a great time
  7. board — a committee
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. land — to come down
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. land — a country
  14. kick — in football
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fine — high quality
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fine — all right
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kick — with a leg

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