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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — for betting
  3. suit — to fit
  4. net — after costs
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. net — for catching
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. board — to get on
  9. court — of law
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. court — of a king
  13. foot — a measure
  14. court — for sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — in cards
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chip — to eat
  23. deal — to handle
  24. hide — to keep secret

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