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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hand — in cards
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chip — for betting
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. board — to get on
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — help
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. board — a committee
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — the earth
  18. race — humankind
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. row — a line
  22. club — for golf
  23. race — a contest
  24. club — for dancing

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