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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — to eat

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