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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — clever

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