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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chip — for betting
  3. board — to get on
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. board — a committee
  6. track — to keep track
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. track — a path
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chip — to eat
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. track — a song
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — in a computer

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