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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bass — low music
  11. board — a committee
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tube — a container
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. march — the month
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chip — in a computer

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