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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bass — low music
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. firm — decided
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pop — soda
  9. firm — a company
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rule — a law
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. chip — for betting
  16. firm — steady
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pop — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bowl — to roll

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