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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. board — to get on
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — to tire
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bore — to drill
  15. net — in sport
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. net — for catching
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — employees
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — for betting
  24. net — after costs

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