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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. hand — help
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. root — of a word
  6. toast — bread
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rock — a stone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rock — music
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. root — the cause
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hand — in cards
  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