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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. row — to paddle
  9. board — a committee
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. board — to get on
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. row — a line

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