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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. hand — in cards
  4. land — a country
  5. toast — bread
  6. hand — help
  7. pop — soda
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pop — music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rule — a law
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rule — government
  23. land — to come down
  24. deal — to handle

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