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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — to get on
  4. stock — shares
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. band — a ring
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. band — a music group

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