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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. season — of the year
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — a break
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rest — what's left
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. board — a committee

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