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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. drill — army training
  3. chip — for betting
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. land — a country
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. land — to come down
  9. chair — a leader
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mate — a partner
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. land — ground
  24. chip — to eat

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