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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. squash — the sport
  3. hand — help
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hand — in cards
  8. board — to get on
  9. charge — electricity
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. board — a committee
  15. charge — a price
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chip — for betting
  18. press — to push
  19. craft — a skill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. charge — in control
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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