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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chip — to eat
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. board — a committee
  7. staff — employees
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. staff — a stick
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — help
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rest — a break
  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