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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. band — a ring
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — ground
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. snap — to click
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. land — a country
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — to come down
  19. chair — a leader
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a music group
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. chair — to sit on

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