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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a match
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — wild animals
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. key — for a lock
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chip — to eat
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — low music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rest — a break
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. current — of water

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