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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — a permit
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — a short time
  8. row — a line
  9. court — of a king
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hand — help
  12. spell — magic
  13. chip — for betting
  14. staff — a stick
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — a committee
  19. court — for sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. court — of law
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spell — letters
  24. board — a flat piece

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