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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. game — wild animals
  7. drill — a practice
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. toast — bread
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. drill — army training
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chip — to eat
  19. drill — the tool
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. board — to get on
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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