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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ball — a dance
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. board — to get on
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. board — a committee
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lean — thin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. march — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lean — to bend
  23. swing — music
  24. board — a flat piece

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