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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: mouse · board · cell · present · leaves · chip · land · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — a gift
  5. board — a committee
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. land — to come down
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. cell — a phone

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