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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — the time now
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — a position
  8. shower — to wash
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. present — a gift
  11. ground — crushed
  12. shower — rain
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ground — the earth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chip — for betting

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