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

Word bank: kick · board · dip · cell · deal · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cell — a phone
  7. chip — to eat
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. board — to get on
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. deal — to handle
  14. board — a committee
  15. cell — in biology
  16. dip — to sink
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal

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