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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. field — for sport
  10. face — to confront
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. field — farmland
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — steady
  17. face — part of the head
  18. field — a subject
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. firm — decided
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. firm — a company
  24. cabinet — ministers

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