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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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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chest — a box
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — to get on
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. can — a tin
  19. foot — a measure
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. chip — to eat
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the instrument

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