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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 120 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: chip · land · bass · board · rush · drill · nail · deal

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — the fish
  5. drill — the tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. board — to get on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — for betting
  15. land — a country
  16. drill — a practice
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — a committee
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. land — to come down
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — to eat

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