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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 116 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: wind · cap · board · chip · net · rule · row · firm

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. board — a committee
  6. net — in sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rule — a law
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rule — government
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. board — to get on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. row — a line
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. net — for catching
  21. wind — moving air
  22. row — to paddle
  23. net — after costs
  24. firm — decided

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