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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — to get on
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cell — in biology
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rock — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. board — a committee
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. court — of a king
  21. roll — a list
  22. court — of law
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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