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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. board — to get on
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — a break
  6. fall — the season
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mark — a grade
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. board — a committee
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cue — a signal

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