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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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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: firm · board · sharp · hide · current · chair · content · foot

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. firm — a company
  6. content — happy
  7. board — to get on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. board — a committee
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. foot — a measure
  17. firm — steady
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. firm — decided
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — 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