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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — in sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — after costs
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chip — for betting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — for catching
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. calf — a young animal

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