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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. firm — decided
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. board — to get on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. content — the amount
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — happy
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. swing — to play on
  22. firm — a company
  23. swing — music
  24. game — a match

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