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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. club — for dancing
  3. face — to confront
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — to get on
  6. bass — low music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. face — to point toward
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bass — the fish
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — electricity
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — the instrument

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