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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. object — an aim
  4. march — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. object — a thing
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rock — music
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. object — to protest
  17. tear — from crying
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rock — a stone
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tear — from crying
  23. march — the month
  24. wake — before a funeral

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