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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — a committee
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. land — ground
  9. club — for golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — a country
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. club — a group
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — for dancing
  23. board — to get on
  24. wake — a trail

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