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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: deal · pass · chip · content · tear · row · board · game

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chip — to eat
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pass — a permit
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. row — a line
  13. tear — to rip
  14. board — to get on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — a match
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. deal — to handle
  20. row — to paddle
  21. content — happy
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. board — a committee
  24. tear — from crying

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