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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — to get on
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — low music
  6. lean — thin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chip — to eat
  13. spell — magic
  14. plane — a tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. lean — to bend
  17. firm — a company
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chip — for betting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. court — for sport
  24. spell — letters

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