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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — to get on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — low music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — in a computer

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