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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. scale — in music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. kick — in football
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chair — a leader
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — a break

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