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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. swing — in golf
  3. chip — for betting
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — the season
  10. scale — size or range
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. scale — in music
  14. snap — to click
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chip — to eat
  24. sharp — with an edge

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