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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. board — to get on
  5. band — a music group
  6. board — a committee
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. plane — a tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spring — of water
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mug — a face
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. band — a ring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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