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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · stick · squash · chair · club · sharp · board · lean

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. club — a group
  5. sharp — clever
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. squash — to crush
  12. board — to get on
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. club — for golf

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