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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. rule — government
  2. season — of the year
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — in sport
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. dip — to sink
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — to grow
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rule — a law
  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