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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hand — in cards
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hand — help
  6. board — a committee
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. board — to get on
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. present — the time now
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. season — in sport

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