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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — for betting
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chip — to eat
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. last — final
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rest — a break
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — to get on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. last — finally

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