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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chip — for betting
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fork — in a road
  9. key — in music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  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