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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. degree — from a university
  11. can — to be able to
  12. board — a committee
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. degree — an amount
  20. chip — to eat
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — to get on

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