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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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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. object — an aim
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chip — for betting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chair — a leader
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. object — to protest
  16. root — the cause
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. firm — decided
  24. calf — of the leg

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