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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. staff — a stick
  3. board — to get on
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mine — for digging
  8. track — a song
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — for betting
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — a committee
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. game — a match
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. track — a path
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — a flat piece

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