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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a committee
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. field — a subject
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. field — for sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. squash — to crush
  21. field — farmland
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chip — to eat

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