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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — to protest
  6. spell — magic
  7. chip — to eat
  8. object — an aim
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — a series
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — a thing
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — to get on
  22. pop — music
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — to visit

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