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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. track — a song
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chip — to eat
  16. track — a path
  17. march — the month
  18. board — to get on
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. march — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. board — a committee
  23. chip — for betting
  24. march — the month

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