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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — to eat
  3. spell — a short time
  4. board — a committee
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — the month
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. march — music
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chip — for betting
  24. board — to get on

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