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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — to get on
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. court — of law
  8. deal — to handle
  9. game — a match
  10. court — of a king
  11. board — a committee
  12. rule — government
  13. bear — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. shower — to wash
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chip — for betting
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. court — for sport
  23. rule — a law
  24. chip — to eat

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