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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — to get on
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chip — to eat
  7. season — in sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. race — humankind
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. season — of the year
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. race — a contest
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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