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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. board — a committee
  3. chip — for betting
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. suit — in cards
  6. capital — a city
  7. board — to get on
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. ground — a position
  11. pop — to visit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. object — an aim
  14. capital — money
  15. shower — to wash
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pop — music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pop — soda
  22. object — to protest
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. object — a thing

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