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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chip — to eat
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. root — the cause
  12. bound — obliged
  13. net — for catching
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. chip — for betting
  17. net — in sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. net — after costs
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. snap — to click

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