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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — to get on
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — certain
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — tied together
  17. track — a path
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — a hat
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cap — a lid
  24. board — a flat piece

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