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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — a group
  4. board — a committee
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pit — a hole
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. face — to point toward
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. club — for golf
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — to get on

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