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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. file — a line of people
  4. object — a thing
  5. craft — boats
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. rush — hurry
  10. craft — a skill
  11. clip — to cut
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. file — a document
  17. clip — a video
  18. chip — to eat
  19. file — a tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rush — to hurry

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