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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. board — to get on
  2. net — after costs
  3. swing — to play on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wound — an injury
  9. net — for catching
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — the time now
  13. fall — the season
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — there
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — in sport
  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