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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 120 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: foot · staff · field · swing · object · arm · chair · board

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a committee
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. field — for sport
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. field — farmland
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. swing — in golf
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — to protest
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. field — a subject
  23. foot — a measure
  24. object — an aim

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