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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a committee
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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