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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: deal · rock · cold · plane · board · chip · content · net

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. board — a committee
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. net — in sport
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. content — happy
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rock — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. cold — not warm
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. board — to get on

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