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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cue — a signal
  15. object — a thing
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. board — to get on
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bound — tied together
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — in a computer

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