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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. season — in sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. season — of the year
  6. shower — to wash
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. shower — rain
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. game — a match
  13. chip — to eat
  14. board — to get on
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. content — happy
  17. chip — for betting
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  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