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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. current — happening now
  6. rule — a law
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tube — a container
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chair — a leader
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — government
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. tube — the underground
  23. content — happy
  24. current — electric

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