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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: rock · suit · toast · chip · march · game · face · board

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. board — a committee
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. face — to confront
  12. toast — bread
  13. rock — music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rock — a stone
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. march — the month

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