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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. present — the time now
  4. board — a committee
  5. track — to keep track
  6. present — a gift
  7. board — to get on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spring — the season
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — of water
  13. craft — a skill
  14. track — a path
  15. present — there
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cell — in biology
  24. craft — boats

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