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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — to drill
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. plane — a tool
  12. last — final
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. season — of the year
  18. last — to go on
  19. board — to get on
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. season — in sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spring — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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