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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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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 · net · can · cold · staff · hide · board · fan

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — to eat
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cold — an illness
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cold — not warm
  16. net — for catching
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. net — after costs
  23. staff — employees
  24. board — a committee

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