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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — low music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pound — a weight
  16. board — to get on
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. board — a committee
  20. pop — music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pop — soda
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bass — the instrument

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