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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rest — a break
  3. board — to get on
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — all right
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cap — a hat
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cap — a lid
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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