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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. sharp — clever
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. board — a committee
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. branch — a division
  18. tube — a container
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cell — a phone
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. branch — of a bank

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