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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. drill — army training
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. net — after costs
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. race — a contest
  8. suit — clothes
  9. club — for golf
  10. suit — to fit
  11. race — humankind
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. club — a group
  18. race — the arms race
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. club — for dancing
  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