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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pop — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chest — a box
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pop — soda
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fork — in a road
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. patient — a sick person

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