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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. firm — decided
  3. rash — hasty
  4. board — to get on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — to eat
  12. spring — the season
  13. firm — a company
  14. foot — a measure
  15. firm — steady
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — of water
  20. board — a committee
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. foot — part of the body

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