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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
468
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: present · dip · firm · pop · saw · board · cold · chip

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. chip — for betting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. firm — decided
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — a gift
  8. pop — soda
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cold — an illness
  11. firm — steady
  12. board — a committee
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. board — to get on
  15. firm — a company
  16. pop — music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. present — there
  21. pop — to visit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. dip — to sink

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