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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. race — humankind
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. deal — to handle
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. race — a contest
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cold — an illness
  15. fine — all right
  16. game — a match
  17. board — a committee
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fine — high quality
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cold — not warm
  24. chip — for betting

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