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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pit — a hole
  3. board — to get on
  4. chip — to eat
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. can — to be able to
  14. swing — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stock — goods
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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