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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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. rule — a law
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pop — soda
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hand — help
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rule — government
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — to hurry

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