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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. ground — a position
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chip — for betting
  6. foot — a measure
  7. net — after costs
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — for catching
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. net — in sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. board — a committee
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — to get on
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  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