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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — to visit
  11. board — to get on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lean — thin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pop — soda
  22. board — a committee
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cap — a hat

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