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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — a trace
  3. land — ground
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chip — to eat
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — a path
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — a song
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. branch — a division
  22. land — a country
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bulb — of a plant

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