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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — finally
  3. net — for catching
  4. last — to go on
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. net — after costs
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. last — final
  13. fall — the season
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. deal — to handle
  16. net — in sport
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chair — a leader
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fall — to drop

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