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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · board · fine · court · spell · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spell — letters
  3. fine — all right
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fine — high quality
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spell — magic
  9. court — of law
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chip — to eat
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. board — to get on

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