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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. board — to get on
  3. game — a match
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rock — a stone
  16. board — a committee
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. game — wild animals
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — music
  24. fine — a penalty

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