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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pop — soda
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mark — a trace
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pop — music
  24. suit — clothes

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