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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: cabinet · board · track · racket · chest · chair · rest · charge

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a committee
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — a path
  17. chest — a box
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rest — a break
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chest — of your body

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