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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. band — a music group
  6. face — to confront
  7. mark — a trace
  8. board — a committee
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. current — happening now
  11. board — to get on
  12. cap — of ice
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. current — of water
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a ring
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — to point toward
  23. current — electric
  24. mark — to pay attention

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