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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: bear · fan · board · squash · chair · stand · chest · club

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chest — a box
  4. club — for dancing
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. club — a group
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. board — to get on
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. board — a committee
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bear — the animal
  24. squash — to crush

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