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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chip — for betting
  9. game — a match
  10. court — of a king
  11. chip — to eat
  12. court — for sport
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. board — a committee
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. board — to get on
  19. mate — to breed
  20. court — of law
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — a stone
  24. track — a path

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