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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · board · lie · chair · chip · racket · object · ball

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a great time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — an aim
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ball — a dance

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