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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. deal — to handle
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — farmland
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chip — to eat
  18. field — a subject
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — for sport
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rush — a thrill

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