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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rock — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a committee
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ground — the earth
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — boats
  21. board — to get on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — a position

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