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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. land — to come down
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. land — a country
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. land — ground
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bound — certain
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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