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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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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 · suit · chip · trunk · row · pitch · rule · perch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rule — government
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rule — a law
  7. suit — clothes
  8. row — a line
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. board — to get on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. row — to paddle
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rule — to rule out

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