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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fine — all right
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. board — a committee
  8. chip — for betting
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fine — high quality
  16. kick — in football
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chip — to eat
  21. sharp — clever
  22. board — to get on
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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