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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mug — a face
  3. bound — obliged
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. track — to keep track
  6. row — a line
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a path
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bound — certain
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bound — tied together
  19. track — a song
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. swing — music
  23. mug — a cup
  24. row — to paddle

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