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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.

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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. roll — a list
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. roll — a cake
  7. chip — for betting
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. scale — size or range
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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