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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ground — a position
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — letters
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spell — magic

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