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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. file — a tool
  5. board — to get on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. capital — a city
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. capital — money
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. file — a document
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — the sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. squash — to crush

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