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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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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: rest · board · safe · pound · chair · fine · jam · cell

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cell — in biology
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fine — all right
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — to get on
  16. rest — a break
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a committee
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pound — a weight

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