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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: chip · foot · deal · capital · board · bowl · saw · club

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. club — a group
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. chip — to eat
  8. deal — to handle
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. club — for golf
  21. chip — for betting
  22. capital — a city
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. club — for dancing

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