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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. clip — for paper
  6. board — a committee
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — to get on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. game — a match
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. clip — to cut
  16. last — finally
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. last — final
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. clip — a video

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