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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pit — a hole
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bat — the animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chair — a leader

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