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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — to get on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. degree — from a university
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lean — thin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. chip — to eat
  14. board — a committee
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to bend
  24. degree — temperature

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