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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. rock — a stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. snap — to click
  12. stock — shares
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rock — music
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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