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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 116 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
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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: board · fork · squash · hide · season · deal · spring · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. season — of the year
  6. board — a committee
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spring — a coil
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — to handle
  17. spring — the season
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spring — of water
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chip — for betting

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