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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chair — a leader
  4. kid — to tease
  5. present — there
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. present — the time now
  12. fine — all right
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kick — in football
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. drill — the tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. present — a gift
  24. chip — in a computer

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