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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. object — an aim
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. object — a thing
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tube — the underground
  11. chip — to eat
  12. drill — army training
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ground — a position
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — a container
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. object — to protest
  24. drill — a practice

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