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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.

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: chair · bound · racket · chip · saw · board · roll · hide

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chip — to eat
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — certain
  16. chair — a leader
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. roll — a list
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chip — for betting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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