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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 · bowl · net · bay · dip · arm · chair · jam

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. board — to get on
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — for catching
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. board — a committee
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. jam — a tight spot

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