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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — a committee
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — to eat
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. row — a line
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rest — what's left

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