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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. board — to get on
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chip — to eat
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spell — magic
  16. kid — child
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kid — to tease
  24. sharp — exactly

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