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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chair — a leader
  3. rule — a law
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. prune — to trim
  7. content — happy
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — of a word
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. rule — government
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. prune — to trim
  24. staff — a stick

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