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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — to get on
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pop — to visit
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pop — soda
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — a committee

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