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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. march — the month
  10. bound — certain
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bound — tied together
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. wax — to grow
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. plane — a tool
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chair — a leader

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