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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. game — a match
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pop — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. file — a document
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. tube — a container
  24. game — wild animals

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