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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — to eat
  6. race — humankind
  7. ground — the earth
  8. hand — help
  9. present — the time now
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ground — a position
  13. roll — a cake
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. chair — a leader
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. present — a gift
  20. race — a contest
  21. present — there
  22. ground — crushed
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chair — a professorship

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