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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: wake · can · foot · cabinet · board · pitcher · spring · chair

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. board — to get on
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — the season
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spring — of water

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