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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
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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: spell · board · chip · pass · mine · game · arm · leaves

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — to get on
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mine — for digging
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spell — magic
  13. board — a committee
  14. game — a match
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — a permit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. chip — for betting
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. arm — part of the body

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