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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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — a leader
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. capital — money
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stock — goods
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stock — shares
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. capital — a city
  22. board — a committee
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. ball — a round shape

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