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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. chip — for betting
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. board — to get on
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — obliged
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bound — tied together
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitch — completely
  24. straw — dry grass

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