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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — a committee
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — to eat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — low music
  8. scale — in music
  9. swing — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — to get on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ground — the earth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — a position
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ground — crushed

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