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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — the time now
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. present — there
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — a law
  11. present — a gift
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — low music
  22. board — to get on
  23. rule — government
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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