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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rash — a series
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — certain
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chair — a leader
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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