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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — a country
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — high quality
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rest — a break
  17. land — to come down
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — all right
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — ground
  24. safe — out of danger

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