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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — to get on
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. file — a document
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wave — with your hand

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