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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · ball · cold · staff · chair · court · mug · board

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. board — to get on
  4. staff — employees
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ball — a great time
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. cold — not warm
  20. court — of a king
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. board — a committee

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