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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: lean · board · land · object · spell · chair · roll · racket

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. object — a thing
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — ground
  6. object — to protest
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. object — an aim
  9. land — to come down
  10. chair — a leader
  11. roll — a list
  12. lean — thin
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. land — a country
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — magic
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — to bend

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