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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. chip — to eat
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stock — shares
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mate — a partner
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — for betting
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stock — goods
  24. board — a committee

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