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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · last · can · chip · land · straw · board · swing

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. swing — to play on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — finally
  7. land — a country
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — ground
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — final
  14. land — to come down
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — a committee
  17. chip — for betting
  18. swing — music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. swing — in golf
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. last — to go on
  24. can — a tin

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