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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chip — to eat
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — a weight
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. drill — army training
  20. board — a committee
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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