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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: spell · board · game · stick · kick · deal · march · chip

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. spell — a short time
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — letters
  10. march — music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — for betting
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — in football
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. spell — magic
  24. board — a committee

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