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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: arm · pit · face · board · jam · drill · bay · chair

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — the tool
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chair — a leader
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. face — to point toward
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. drill — a practice
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pit — a hole
  22. drill — army training
  23. chair — to sit on
  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