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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: board · game · rock · wound · pitcher · object · chair · present

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. object — a thing
  7. chair — a leader
  8. present — there
  9. wound — an injury
  10. board — a committee
  11. game — a match
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — a gift
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — the time now
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. game — wild animals

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