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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. board — to get on
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rest — a break
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rule — government
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rash — hasty
  20. board — a committee
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rash — a series
  23. pass — to succeed
  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