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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — a match
  4. spell — letters
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stock — goods
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — a subject
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stock — shares
  24. chip — to eat

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