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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lean — thin
  5. board — to get on
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. capital — a city
  8. tube — the underground
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — a match
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. board — a committee
  13. wake — a trail
  14. game — wild animals
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — a container
  17. branch — a division
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lean — to bend
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chip — to eat

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