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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: season · calf · board · chip · game · bass · chair · bore

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. season — of the year
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bore — to tire
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. game — a match
  20. board — to get on
  21. season — in sport
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. calf — of the leg

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