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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rest — a break
  8. land — to come down
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. land — a country
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. land — ground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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