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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chip — for betting
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pit — in a race
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. board — to get on
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fine — all right
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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