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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. kick — in football
  7. chip — to eat
  8. board — a committee
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — to get on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — to bear
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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