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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — army training
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. drill — the tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a committee
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bank — of a river
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. chip — in a computer

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