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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bass — the fish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — after costs
  7. face — to confront
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. face — part of the head
  15. suit — clothes
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bass — low music
  18. board — a committee
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. net — for catching
  22. board — to get on
  23. net — in sport
  24. suit — in cards

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