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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. land — a country
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. swing — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. land — to come down
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. land — ground
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — a grade

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