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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. club — a group
  4. kid — to tease
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pit — in a race
  7. firm — steady
  8. board — to get on
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. kid — child
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chip — for betting
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. chip — to eat
  21. firm — decided
  22. board — a committee
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. firm — a company

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