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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mug — a face
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mug — to rob
  5. content — happy
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rest — a break
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. content — the amount
  12. firm — decided
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chip — for betting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — steady
  21. rest — what's left
  22. staff — a stick
  23. firm — a company
  24. rest — what's left

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