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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chip — for betting
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. spring — the season
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. staff — a stick
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — to eat
  14. spring — a coil
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spring — of water
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. prune — to trim

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