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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rule — government
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — the season
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cap — a hat
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. board — to get on
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rule — a law
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spring — of water

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