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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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 — for betting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. game — a match
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — the month
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. bound — obliged
  22. board — to get on
  23. game — wild animals
  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