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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. spell — magic
  6. suit — to fit
  7. chip — to eat
  8. suit — clothes
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. last — finally
  11. degree — an amount
  12. chip — for betting
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. last — to go on
  15. spell — letters
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — all right
  19. board — to get on
  20. degree — from a university
  21. last — final
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — high quality

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