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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. board — a committee
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. board — to get on
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — a series
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cell — a phone
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rash — hasty
  17. dip — to sink
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chip — for betting

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