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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 116 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: mate · staff · saw · key · chair · land · object · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. staff — a stick
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — a country
  6. staff — employees
  7. key — in music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — to protest
  13. mate — a friend
  14. board — a committee
  15. saw — the tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — for a lock
  19. object — a thing
  20. land — ground
  21. staff — employees
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chair — a leader

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