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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. court — of law
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a document
  6. ball — a great time
  7. court — of a king
  8. mark — a trace
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. file — a tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. key — in music
  15. court — for sport
  16. rash — a series
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chair — to sit on
  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