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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — to crush
  19. branch — a division
  20. cap — a hat
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitcher — a jug

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