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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. board — a committee
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. object — an aim
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. object — a thing
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — to get on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. object — to protest

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