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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. rest — a break
  4. bass — low music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — to eat
  13. suit — clothes
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — the fish
  18. scale — in music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chip — for betting
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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