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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. club — for golf
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rock — a stone
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rock — music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. club — for dancing
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. chip — to eat
  22. game — a match
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. club — a group

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