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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — in a race
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ruler — a monarch

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