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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. club — for golf
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chip — for betting
  7. club — a group
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pound — a weight
  12. board — a committee
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cold — an illness
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. game — wild animals

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