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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: shower · board · kick · ground · fan · jam · bore · chip

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to drill
  5. board — to get on
  6. bore — to tire
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. shower — rain
  9. kick — in football
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ground — a position
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — crushed

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