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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: track · board · bat · mate · bound · chip · tube · rest

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — a break
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. track — a song
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — certain
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — to eat
  24. tube — in a tire

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