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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. mine — for digging
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — army training
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mine — an explosive

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