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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bound — obliged
  5. band — a music group
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — a leader
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chip — to eat
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ball — a dance

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