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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — to get on
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. season — of the year
  13. board — a committee
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. shower — rain
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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