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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. field — a subject
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rock — music
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chip — to eat
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. season — in sport
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. arm — a part of something

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