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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. row — a line
  7. game — a match
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. game — wild animals
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. sharp — with an edge

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