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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — to eat
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. board — a committee
  6. chip — for betting
  7. capital — a city
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. board — to get on
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. capital — money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. straw — a straw man

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